At the 107th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107) in May 2023, amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-2 prohibiting fire-extinguishing media containing PFOS were adopted as Resolution MSC.532(107). At the MSC 110 in June 2025, a unified interpretation regarding verification by the maker's declarations and laboratory test reports that the extinguishing media containing PFOS are not used or stored on ships was adopted as MSC.1/Circ.1694.
As the amendment of SOLAS will come into force on 1 January 2026, we would like to inform the requirements for necessary preparation in advance.

1. Outline
Use or storage of fire-extinguishing media containing PFOS will be prohibited on or after 1 January 2026.
The phrase "containing PFOS" means present in concentrations of PFOS above 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight).
In order to verify that foam fire-extinguishing media does not contain PFOS, one of the following documents is to be kept on board.
(1) Maker's declaration
(2) Laboratory test reports
Where documents of (1) or (2) are not available, following is required to be conducted.
(3) Sampling and testing of the extinguishing media on board

2. Application
Ships engaged on international voyages (for ships not engaged on international voyages, the instruction of the flag administration to be referred to).

3. Surveys
(1) New ships (constructed on or after 1 January 2026)
The maker's declaration or laboratory test reports are to be confirmed at the time of the Classification Survey during Construction.
(2) Existing ships (constructed before 1 January 2026)
The maker's declaration or laboratory test reports are to be confirmed at the time of the first Safety Equipment Survey (except for Occasional Survey) on or after 1 January 2026. Where the maker's declaration or laboratory test reports are not available, sampling and testing of the extinguishing media on board is required.

(To be continued)